HALLOWEENTOWN, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Every day this month, resident horror movie enthusiast and 828newsNOW staff reporter Pruett Norris is recommending a Halloween film for your macabre amusement.
Whether they be monster movies or fearsome family films, demonic possessions or slasher sensations, this exercise hopes to encourage spooky seasonal “scream”ings at home or in cinemas.
As the old saying goes, “trick or treat, trick or treat, give me something good to…watch.”
Day 15: CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON (1954, 79 min., directed by Jack Arnold)
The Universal Monsters are world famous.
Dracula, The Wolf Man, Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, The Mummy. Heck, even The Phantom of the Opera gets some love, despite the success of his more musical successor.
A lesser known Universal critter is the Creature from the Black Lagoon, also known as Gill-Man.
Gill-Man only featured in three films between 1954 and 1956, unlike some of his contemporaries still gracing the silver screen today. Those movies, “Creature from the Black Lagoon,” “Revenge of the Creature” and “The Creature Walks Among Us,” are something of a 1950s curio, less remembered than they might be.
However, in the pantheon of Universal Monsters, “Creature from the Black Lagoon” is an absolute blast compared to the slog of “Dracula” and sparky-but-sparse “Frankenstein.” The jungle adventure has some spectacular underwater horror moments, as well as a truly fantastic monster suit. Gill-Man looks great, even if the costume looks like a nightmare for an actor to wear.
Furthermore, the movie is a brisk 80 minutes, making it and its campy 50s scares the perfect introduction for young families to some spookier fare.
Still haven’t decided on a Halloween costume? Put your vampire cloak and mummy wraps back on the rack and give Gill-Man some overdue love.
“Creature from the Black Lagoon” is available to rent on most streaming platforms.
Looking for more October movie recommendations? Read the rest of the 828boosNOW archive:
DAY 1: BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
DAY 3: A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3: DREAM WARRIORS
DAY 5: SCOOBY-DOO! AND THE WITCH’S GHOST
DAY 7: THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT